WHILE the next meet on the Tuncurry Forster Jockey Club’s calendar is its TAB Christmas Raceday Party, scheduled for Monday December 12, the club recently recognised the Mid North Coast’s 2015-16 premiership winners.
One such winner was local galloper Arise Augustus who was honoured with the horse of the year Award.
Trained and part-owned by leading Tuncurry Forster trainer Terry Evans, Arise Augustus raced 18 times last season winning seven times and having seven placings for $151,760 in earnings.
It’s been a great thrill to be involved with Terry and the people up here (Tuncurry Forster), we absolutely love it
- Arise Augustus part-owners John French and Sandie Lowndes, Karuah
“It’s been a great thrill to be involved with Terry and the people up here (Tuncurry Forster), we absolutely love it,” said part-owners John French and Sandie Lowndes of Karuah.
City delights were also experienced by the Arise Augustus owners.
With seven wins last season, the gelding found success at Randwick and Canterbury.
A son of Danehill’s Holy Roman Emperor, Arise Augustus commenced the new season on a consistent note with a second at Warwick Farm in August, followed by a fourth in the $50,000 feature De Bortoli Wines Sprint during the Port Macquarie Cup racing carnival.
Leading trainer for the Mid North Coast was Port Macquarie conditioner Neil Godbolt with 24 wins, while legendary bush hoop Robert Thompson, from Cessnock, was the leading jockey with 28 wins.
Now based at Newcastle for Kris Lees, Samantha Clenton was the leading apprentice jockey with 14 wins.
Sam also took out the leading NSW Country Apprentice Of the Year.
Aussie firsts take Trust
WHILE his first winner – Tous Sweet – was recorded in Macau a few months ago, Trusting was represented with his first Australian winners when Trust Misty and Isn’t She Elegant recently won.
It’s good news for the Ramsey family’s Scone district property Turangga Stud, who stand Trust Misty and Isn’t She Elegant’s young sire Trusting.
Both first crop three-year-old fillies, Trust Misty won over 1800 metres winning at the Gold Coast, while Isn’t She Elegant won over 1300m at Toowoomba.
From a limited number of starters, Trusting has now sired three winners with another six placegetters.
By Storm Cat leading sire son Tale Of The Cat, Trusting was a triple Sydney group 2 winner who had the sprint power to win at 1200m with the versatility to win over 2000m.
WINX claims Australian Horse Of The Year
Reigning Australian champion, Winx is motoring toward her 13th successive win when lining up in the nation’s weight-for-age championship MVRC W S Cox Plate-G1 at Moonee Valley this Saturday, a race she won last year.
The mighty mare added another diamond in her already cluttered tiara when being announced as Australian Horse Of The Year for 2015-16.
To earn the title, Winx won her seven starts last season and earned $5.62 million.
Five of these wins for at group 1 level – the ATC Doncaster Mile, Epsom Handicap, George Ryder Stakes and Chipping Norton Stakes in Sydney, and the MVRC W S Cox Plate in Melbourne.
Winx’s other two wins were the group 2 Apollo Stakes and Theo Mark Stakes in Sydney.
Winx is a daughter of former Godolphin shuttler and now deceased sire Street Cry, champion Australian sire for 2015-16.
In scoring her 12th successive win when taking the Caulfield Stakes-G1 two weeks ago, Winx equalled Tulloch’s longest winning streak, and is now closing in on Phar Lap’s best of 14 straight successes.
Meanwhile, thousands of racing enthusiasts will be glued to television screens around the nation for the W S Cox Plate race and the mouth-watering clash between Winx and newer imported racing star Hartnell in the W S Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
Numerous race clubs have corresponded their race meets on the same day to cater for fans at their local tracks.
These include racing at Armidale, Casino, Harden Picnics, Mudgee, Tumut, and the Silver City Cup races at Broken Hill.
Scheduled for Sunday, October 23 is the Queanbeyan Cup meet, while the celebrated Coonabarabran Cup races are on October 24.
Its eight programmed races is highlighted with the $46,000 Coonabarabran Cup run over 1600m.
Bon oft for first group 1
SCONE Yearling Sale graduate Voodoo Lad franked his consistent form when convincingly taking the Ladbrokes Moonga Stakes-G3 over 1400m at the Caulfield Cup meet last Saturday.
By in-form sire I Am Invincible, who stands at Yarraman Park, Scone, Voodoo Lad was second to Bon Aurum in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes-G1 also at Caulfield at his previous start.
The four-year-old Bon Aurum became the first group 1 winner for his tall chestnut sire Bon Hoffa, which stands at Helen and John North’s Bowness Stud, Young.
Interestingly, Bon Hoffa also won the group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, taking the 1400m event in 2007.
Other names on the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes honour roll include champion stallions Exceed And Excel, Encosta de Lago and Testa Rossa.
